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Precambrian Time 4600 MYA
The Earth formed from planetary nebula. Oldest age-dated rocks on Earth. Fossil algae and strmatolites (prokaryotes). Fossil evidence of bacteria. Fossil evidence of cells with a nucleus (eukaryotes). First multi-celled organisms (seaweed and algae). Oldest marine worms and jellyfish. -
Period: to
Geological Time Scale in One Calendar Year
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Quaternary Period 2 MYA
First of 4 ice ages - 1 MYA. Oldest direct human- ancestor fossil, Homo habilis - 1MYA. First modern man, Homo sapiens - 0.1 MYA. Mammoth and mastodon bones - 0.5 MYA. Revolutionary War - 235 years ago. World War II - 70 years ago. -
Origin of life (first cells) 3900 MYA
3900 million years ago. -
Prokaryotes 3600 MYA
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Eukaryotes 2100 MYA
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Paloezoic Era 544 MYA
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Cambrian Period 544 MYA
Burgess Shale animals. Animals with a notochord. -
Ordovician Period 544 MYA
First fish. First fossil evidence of land plants. -
Silurian Period 438 MYA
First vascular land plants. Oldest lung fish fossils. -
Devonian Period 408 MYA
Oldest fossil evidence of mosses. First insects. First lobe-finned fish. First land animals. First sharks. First seed plants. -
Mississippian Period 360 MYA
First possible reptiles. -
Pennsylvanian Period
Permian system begins. Snail-backed reptiles (Dimetrodon). End of Paleozoic. 96% of all life on Earth perishes. -
Mesozoic Era "The Age of Reptiles" 245 MYA
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Triassic Period 245 MYA
First crocodiles. First dinosaurs. First mammals (shrew like). First turtles, -
Jurassic Period 208 MYA
Dilophosaurus, early dinosaur. First bird - Archeopteryx. Apatosaurus and Brachiosaurus. Stegosaurus. -
Cretaceous Period 144 MYA
First flowering plants, Duck-billed dinosaurs. Protoceratops. Triceratops. Tyrannosaurus rex. Velociraptor. End of Mesozoic, probably meteor or comet impact. -
Tertiary Period 65 MYA
First ancestors of dogs and cats - 64 MYA. Grasses become widespread - 60 MYA. First ancestors of pigs and deer - 57 MYA. First horses - 55 MYA. First ancestors of rabbits - 45 MYA. First monkeys - 39 MYA. Oldest human like ancestors (hominids) - 4 MYA. -
Cenozoic Era- The Age of Mammals - 65 MYA